Department of Health and Social Care

Infected Blood Inquiry

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals have brought claims against the Government for negligence in relation to contaminated Factor VIII blood products since the Government first made compensation payments to haemophiliacs infected with HIV in 1991.

Lord Kamall: A group claim has been brought on behalf of approximately 500 claimants or their dependants, in relation to Factor VIII and Factor IX products. This claim is stayed pending the outcome of the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Medicine: Training

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of university applications to study medicine including dentistry; and what plans they have to fill any increase in the number of vacancies for doctors, nurses and dentists.

Lord Kamall: The latest available data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service data shows that applicants to undergraduate dentistry courses have remained at a similar level, with 3,625 applicants in 2011 and 3,635 applicants in 2021. As at March 2022, there are 38,972 full-time equivalent registered nursing vacancies and 8,016 medical vacancies. Many of the vacancies will be covered by bank and agency staff. Data on dental vacancies is not held centrally.The Department has committed to deliver an additional 50,000 nurses by the end of this Parliament to ensure a sustainable long-term supply for the National Health Service. As of March 2022, the number of nurses had increased by over 30,000 compared to September 2019. More than 30,000 students have accepted a place on nursing and midwifery programmes in the 2021 recruitment cycle - an increase of 28% compared to 2019. We have also increased the number of medical school places by 25%. The NHS Retention Programme is also targeting interventions to encourage staff to stay in the NHS whilst supporting their health and wellbeing.We are working with the British Dental Association to reform the NHS dental contract to make it more attractive to the profession. In its ‘Advancing Dental Care Review’, Health Education England made recommendations to improve the recruitment and retention of dentists and other professionals. We are also working to allow greater flexibility to expand on the registration options open to international dentistry applicants.

Health Services and Social Services: Discrimination

Lord Lilley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to use the Everyday Discrimination Scale as recommended in the Review of Health and Social Care Leadership published on 8 June; and if so, what evidence they have that it provides useful objective evidence.

Lord Kamall: All seven recommendations in Leadership for a collaborative and inclusive future have been accepted by the Government. This includes positive equality, diversity and inclusion action, where the report encourages the use of the Everyday Discrimination Scale as a useful tool to support leaders and teams to address discrimination in the workplace.The scale was developed by a Harvard University professor, which has been used globally to address issues through specific questions and considerations. However, the use of the scale is not being mandated in the National Health Service and social care. The Department considers this as one of a number of tools available to health and social care workers to ensure a welcoming and supportive environment.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 17 May (HL71), what is the average rate of staff turnover within the Coronavirus Test Device Approval team since its implementation; and what steps they are taking to ensure that this does not affect the ability of the review team, including new scientific advisors, to address the ongoing COVID diagnostics application backlog.

Lord Kamall: We are unable to provide the information requested on average staff turnover as it is not held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The number of scientific advisors has remained stable. There are six new posts currently advertised to recruit permanent civil servants as scientific advisors, to replace contractors in these roles. In addition, organisational learning is being recorded to ensure continuity, including a new management information system and appropriate handover periods as staff are replaced.

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent reported increase in COVID-19 infections, what plans they have to expedite the procurement of Evusheld.

Lord Kamall: The Department is currently assessing the efficacy of Evusheld, which includes advice from clinicians with available data, the public health situation and other treatments available. However, we are unable to confirm a specific timetable for decisions on the procurement of Evusheld.

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the approval of Evusheld by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on 17 March, when they plan to announce their policy on the provision of Evusheld; and if they are not yet ready to make an announcement, what progress they have made on developing the clinical commissioning policy for Evusheld.

Lord Kamall: The UK Health Security Agency has tested the efficacy of Evusheld against the Omicron variants and initial data for BA.1 and BA.2 has been shared with AstraZeneca. The Department and the National Health Service are identifying appropriate patient cohorts and approaches to the potential deployment of pre-exposure prophylaxis. We have asked clinicians to advise on the most appropriate option for the NHS in line with all available data, the public health situation and other treatments available. However, we are unable to confirm a specific timetable for decisions for a commissioning policy for Evusheld.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Lord Lilley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was spent recruiting nurses from overseas on accommodation, flights, quarantine and administration, excluding salaries, in the most recent year for which figures are available

Lord Kamall: The information requested on money spent on recruiting nurses from overseas is not collected centrally.

Department for Education

Arts: Higher Education

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of budget cuts on access to Higher Education arts courses on (1) the UK's economy, and (2) those from (a) lower socio-economic, and (b) minority, backgrounds.

Baroness Barran: The government recognises the importance of the creative arts to the economy and the UK. High-quality provision in a range of subjects is critical for our workforce and our public services. It is also culturally enriching for our society, which is why the government awarded nearly £8million directly to creative universities as part of the Culture Recovery Fund. The Office for Students (OfS) has increased the high-cost subject funding rate per student for performing and creative arts and media studies to £125.76, a rise of 3.51% from the previous year, for the 2022/23 academic year. The department has also increased funding for world-leading specialist providers, including 11 providers specialising in the arts, by an additional £5 million in the 2022/23 financial year, on top of the increase of £10 million provided in the 2021/22 financial year. The department wants to ensure that such providers receive additional support, and that grant funding is used effectively to support students, including those with an interest in the cultural and creative sectors. In January 2021, the former Secretary of State for Education reprioritised the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG). This was to ensure value for money, support strategic priorities across the sector, including provision of courses vital for the economy and labour markets, and continued support for disadvantaged students and underrepresented groups. This resulted in the high-cost subject funding rate for some arts and music courses to be set at £121.50, down from £243 in 2020/21. This reallocation of grant funding amounted to about 0.05% of affected providers’ estimated total income. The OfS consulted on the proposals and published its conclusions on their website. The consultation responses were carefully analysed. The issues raised were considered by both the OfS and the former Secretary of State in reaching their respective decisions about the allocation of the SPG in 2021/22. The department considers that access to higher education should be based on a student’s attainment and their ability to succeed, rather than their background. In 2021, 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds were 82% more likely to go to university than in 2010. There are also more disadvantaged students at university today than at any other point in our history.

Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to allow use of the meal voucher scheme during the summer holidays.

Baroness Barran: Free school meals (FSM) are an educational entitlement intended to support children while they are learning. Pupils do not receive FSM when they are not receiving education. This includes school holidays.Children who are in receipt of FSM are eligible for a free place on the holiday activities and food programme. The programme is being delivered in all 152 local authorities in England. It ensures that disadvantaged children have access to healthy food and enriching activities during the longer school holiday periods.To support people who need additional help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support via the Household Support Fund, which will be extended from October 2022 to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided through the Household Support Fund since October 2021 to £1.5 billion. This is administered by local councils in England and helps those in most need with payments towards the rising cost of food, energy, and water bills.

Technology: Education

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to work with (1) universities, and (2) businesses, in the fields of (a) the metaverse, (b) blockchain technologies, (c) cryptocurrencies, and (d) artificial intelligence.

Baroness Barran: The Digital Strategy announced by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy on the 13 June, is the roadmap we will follow to further strengthen our global position as a science and technology superpower.The Digital Strategy will lead to new jobs, skills and services that benefit and level up the whole of the UK. It will bring tech leaders together in a new Digital Skills Council to tackle the skills gap and to carry out a review of the UK’s large-scale computer processing capabilities. The group will look at the issue of digital skills from schools through to lifelong learning and at ways the industry can inspire the next generation of talent from a wide range of backgrounds to consider a digital career.As an illustration of our commitment to this, we announced that the Office for Students (OfS) will be providing 2,000 scholarships to ensure we has more of the advanced digital skills needed to maintain the country’s leading position in cutting-edge AI and data science. The OfS allocate up to £23 million to universities to fund scholarships starting in 2023. Funding will be available for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds as well as black, women and disabled students to ensure the AI built and used in the UK reflects the make-up of our society.In this new landscape, businesses will be critical to supporting our ambitions. The Innovation Strategy, published by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in July 2021, focuses on how the government supports businesses to innovate by making the most of the UK’s research, development and innovation system.As part of this UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will ramp up its investment in the technologies of the future including Artificial Intelligence, digital, and advanced computing, working with businesses to crowd-in investment and create world leading sectors and job-rich industries. Over the spending review period UKRI allocation for the 2022/25 financial year is £25.1 billion and will reach its highest ever level in the 2024/25 financial year (over £8.8 billion).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Developing Countries: Food Aid

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they willwork with international partners to provide food supply guarantees to developing countries at risk of food shortages as a result of global food shortages and increasing food prices, caused by the war in Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Over the next 3 years, the UK will direct £3 billion of humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable countries and people to help them recover from crises. The UK played a leading role in persuading the World Bank to commit $12 billion of new funding in the next 15 months to respond directly to the food security crisis, as part of its global lending package of $170 billion. The UK is keen to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the global response through strong coordination and collaboration, and we are therefore supportive of the G7 Global Alliance for Food Security and the US-led road map and country coalition. The UK has committed another £10 million to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to build resilience in agriculture and food security in the poorest countries, bringing our total contribution to £186 million.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of reports that the Russian military has (1) attacked civilians in Ukraine indiscriminately, and (2) attacked hospitals, schools, and railway stations in that country, causing injuries and loss of life.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine is a premeditated and barbaric assault on a sovereign democratic state. Russia's deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, railway stations and cultural sites constitute war crimes. The UK and its partners will ensure Putin's regime is held accountable.The UK is a leading bilateral donor to Ukraine, having committed £220 million in humanitarian assistance. We have delivered over 11 million medical items and are donating ambulances, generators and multiple non-food items. Frontline medical aid charity UK-Med will also receive funding of up to £300,000 to help train Ukrainian doctors, nurses and paramedics on how to deal with mass casualties.

Russia: International Criminal Court

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions theyhave had with prosecutors at the International Criminal Court at The Hague regarding (1) investigations, and (2) potential prosecutions, of (a) President Putin, (b) other members of the Russian government, and (c) members of the Russian military, for (i) crimes of aggression, (ii) crimes against humanity, and (iii) genocide.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is for the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor to independently determine who should be prosecuted for crimes committed in Ukraine, including those that ordered them, in accordance with his mandate under the Rome Statute. The ICC does not have jurisdiction to prosecute the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine because neither Russia nor Ukraine are States party to the Rome Statute. We respect the jurisdiction of competent national or international courts, such as the ICC, to determine if the crime of genocide has occurred in Ukraine. The UK will continue to provide the necessary assistance to the ICC to support its investigations, including an additional £1 million contribution funded through the cross-Government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Companies

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken towards the introduction of beneficial ownership in the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies are self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected governments, who are responsible for their own financial services policy. The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies already share beneficial ownership information with UK law enforcement and have committed to introduce publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership. The UK Government welcomes this action; it is an important step forward and a positive response to the changing UK, global norms on corporate transparency. These commitments exceed the standards set by the Financial Action Task Force on beneficial ownership transparency, and put them ahead of most jurisdictions. The Overseas Territories Governments are making good progress, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is providing support with this, as required.

Bahrain: Prisoners

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, if any, to the government of Bahrain to ensure that prisoners receive treatment for tuberculosis; and what assessment they have made of reports that prisoners in that country have (1) not been tested for tuberculosis when displaying symptoms, and (2) been denied medical care for the disease.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Officials and ministers have regular discussions with senior Bahraini counterparts on human rights, including most recently when Minister Milling co-chaired the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group with the Bahrain Foreign Minister on 16 June 2022.The Government of Bahrain has been clear that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed. We welcome these assurances, and urge continued transparency and encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Rwanda’s current military involvement in the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); and what discussions they have had with the government of the United States of America about their reported concerns over the presence of Rwandan forces in the DRC.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is concerning. We welcome regional efforts to deliver a peaceful solution. In recent weeks we have raised our concerns about the increase in violence, hate speech and increased movement of armed groups with the Governments of DRC, Uganda and Rwanda, as well as the leadership of the UN Peacekeeping Mission, MONUSCO. The UK engages frequently and at a senior level with the Governments of Rwanda and DRC through our missions in the region, and in the UK. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and the Minister for Africa most recently raised our concerns about the escalating violence in the region, with the Rwandan Foreign Minister last week. The Minister for Africa will also raise these concerns with the Government of DRC over the coming days. The UK is committed to supporting regional efforts to build stability and reduce violence in DRC, and we welcome the recent meeting of regional Heads of State in Nairobi towards this end.We regularly discuss these issues with our international partners, including the Government of the United States. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and engage with all local and regional partners to improve the security situation.

Madagascar: Rio Tinto Group

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to call on Rio Tinto to pay compensation to local people affected by the escape of (1) toxic uranium, and (2) lead, pollution from the mine near Anosy in Madagascar.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are aware of allegations of pollution from the QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) ilmenite mining operations in south-east Madagascar. QMM, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and the Government of Madagascar, has denied the allegations. The UK welcomes ongoing efforts involving the national and regional authorities, QMM and the local community to establish the facts in the case and address the concerns of local residents.

Nigeria: Human Rights and Security

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 25 May (HL513), what were the outcomes of the discussions between the Minister for Africa with community leaders, religious leaders and the Vice President and Foreign Minister of Nigeria on the topics of violence, human rights, and the security situation in Nigeria.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is committed to promoting human rights for all Nigerians, and supporting efforts to respond to rising insecurity across Nigeria. We regularly raise these topics with the Nigerian Government and other Nigerian interlocutors including religious and community leaders. These discussions allow us to: demonstrate UK Government interest; push for progress; agree future cooperation; and understand what is proving effective in responding to negative developments. For example, in the Minister for Africa's meetings with religious and community leaders during her February visit, she heard about the importance of investment in dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding to tackle the drivers of conflict. The outcome of that discussion is helping to shape our future engagement and activity to respond to conflict and insecurity.The UK Government has delivered programmes and projects in support of our commitment on promoting security and human rights. For example, we have funded projects in Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states, aimed at promoting tolerance and understanding, strengthening links and dialogue between civil society groups, religious leaders and religious (and non-religious) groups; and advocating for responsible journalism. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to continue working together to support long-term solutions to address the root causes of violence in Nigeria.

Nigeria: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 25 May (HL513), what assessment they have now made of the effectiveness of talks between the UK and the government of Nigeria in advancing the rights of the Nigerian people.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is committed to promoting human rights for all Nigerians, and supporting efforts to respond to rising insecurity across Nigeria. We regularly raise these topics with the Nigerian Government and other Nigerian interlocutors including religious and community leaders. These discussions allow us to: demonstrate UK Government interest; push for progress; agree future cooperation; and understand what is proving effective in responding to negative developments. For example, in the Minister for Africa's meetings with religious and community leaders during her February visit, she heard about the importance of investment in dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding to tackle the drivers of conflict. The outcome of that discussion is helping to shape our future engagement and activity to respond to conflict and insecurity.The UK Government has delivered programmes and projects in support of our commitment on promoting security and human rights. For example, we have funded projects in Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states, aimed at promoting tolerance and understanding, strengthening links and dialogue between civil society groups, religious leaders and religious (and non-religious) groups; and advocating for responsible journalism. At the first dialogue of our Security and Defence partnership in February, we agreed to continue working together to support long-term solutions to address the root causes of violence in Nigeria.

Ministry of Defence

Australia: Navy

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to train Australian naval officers in the Royal Navy nuclear programme, in a similar way to the US Navy with the Australia–US Submarine Officer Pipeline Act.

Baroness Goldie: There are existing arrangements for training non-UK national Navy personnel, including the Royal Australian Navy, as part of Royal Navy training programmes.

Australia: Navy

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to train Australian naval officers in the Royal Navy nuclear programme in a similar way to the US Navy with their Australia–U.S. Submarine Officer Pipeline Act.

Baroness Goldie: There are existing arrangements for training non-UK national Navy personnel, including the Royal Australian Navy, as part of Royal Navy training programmes.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Harrogate

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 28 April (HL7970) and the subsequent correspondence on 11 May,out of the 80 people invited to make a claim for Universal Credit during the Universal Credit managed migration pilot in Harrogate, how many had been (1) notified of a deadline day for claiming universal credit and (2) reached that initial deadline day, prior to the pilot being paused.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Of those contacted during the pilot, 53 people were given a deadline to claim universal credit. Before the pilot was paused, 41 people reached the deadline.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bread and Flour: Regulation

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the issues raised by the Real Bread Campaign in their submission to DEFRA, published in September 2021, ahead of the first meeting of the Bread and Flour Technical Working Group, will be included in the forthcoming public consultation and review of the Bread and Flour Regulations.

Lord Benyon: Defra, alongside the Department of Health and Social Care, the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland and Wales, Food Standards Scotland and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, have been conducting jointly a review of The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and The Bread and Flour (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1998 to ensure the regulations are fit for purpose and support UK industry while protecting consumers. To assist the review, Defra convened a technical working group made up of a wide range of relevant stakeholders including the Real Bread Campaign, to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations which cover the compositional requirements of bread and flour. We are now preparing to consult jointly on proposals to update the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998. The consultation is subject to a cross-government agreement process in England and ministerial agreement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is therefore not possible to say definitively what will be included in the consultation, but we hope to be able to publish proposals shortly.

Home Office

Asylum: Military Bases

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to assess whether an asylum seeker will be appropriate to accommodate in (1) the proposed reception centre at RAF Linton, and (2) any other large-scale reception centre.

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how asylum seekers will be screened to assess for any vulnerabilities which may make it inappropriate for them to be accommodated in large-scale reception centres.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: To ensure the safety and wellbeing of those being considered for accommodation at the proposed site in Linton-on-Ouse or other reception centre, an assessment would take place by the Home Office prior to allocation using suitability criteria. The factors that are currently considered when assessing the suitability of individual asylum seekers for particular accommodation is set out in the policy guidance ‘Allocation of Accommodation’. This policy guidance will be reviewed as part of any preparations to open the proposed asylum accommodation site in Linton-on-Ouse.The welfare of all asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance. Were Linton-On-Ouse to be used to accommodate asylum seekers, we would employ a robust screening process which would involve an evidence-based assessment of suitability for entry to Linton-on-Ouse. Individual suitability would continue to be assessed at regular intervals.

Refugees: Electronic Tagging

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to determine which refugees will be electronically tagged and which will not.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: An individual assessment of the appropriateness for tagging will be undertaken for each case in line with our published policy (available at: Offender management - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Military Bases

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what healthcare facilities will be provided at (1) RAF Linton, and (2) other large-scale reception centres for asylum seekers; and whether the centres will be reliant on local healthcare services.

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision they will make for asylum seekers at (1) RAF Linton, and (2) other large-scale reception centres, to access legal advice; and what consideration has been given to shortages of legal aid and advice.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: HealthcareWe continue to work closely with NHS England and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in respect of the provision of health services at Linton-on-Ouse and the definition of health service provision and capacity is being led by the CCG. Experience and lessons learnt from Napier Barracks are being used by the CCG to identify health service provision requirements at the proposed development.Healthcare at future reception centres will be developed using a similar approach. Legal AdviceThe site at Linton-on-Ouse is being designed to facilitate and support interaction between service users and their chosen legal advisors, whereby asylum seekers accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will have the ability to access the support of legal representation, either face-to-face or remotely. Those with no legal representation will be sign- posted in seeking appropriate representation. The Home Office continues to liaise with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency to finalise the details of this provision at Linton-on-Ouse.Access to legal advisors at future reception centres will be developed using a similar approach.

Asylum: Rwanda

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the full cost of chartering the flight to transport asylum claimants from the UK to Rwanda under the terms of the UK–Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, which had been due to depart on Tuesday 14 June; what was the expected cost per asylum-seeker on the flight; and whether they are liable to pay the full cost, or any cost, of chartering the flight, even in the event that it did not leave the UK for any reason.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The costs of our broken asylum system are at a 20 year record high, currently costing the UK taxpayer over £1.5bn a year, with £4.7 million a day being spent on hotels alone. This cannot continue – and the partnership with Rwanda is a key part of our plans to reform the system and put an end to unsustainable costs which impact the taxpayer. The Government’s efforts to facilitate entirely legitimate and legal returns of people who have entered the UK illegally are too often frustrated by late challenges submitted hours before the flight. These claims are very often baseless and entirely without merit but are given full legal consideration which can lead to removal being rescheduled. Costs for individual flights and legal services will vary based on a number of different factors and are regularly reviewed to ensure that best value for money is balanced against the need to remove those individuals with no right to remain in the UK. We do not routinely disclose commercial or operational information relating to individual charter flights.

Asylum: Military Bases

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what forms of contract they propose for the providers of services at (1) the RAF Linton reception centre for asylum seekers, and (2) other large scale reception centres.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The proposed accommodation site in Linton-on-Ouse would be a contract change notice under the pre-established Asylum Accommodation Support Contract (AASC) for the North West region with Serco, to run for a period of two years, after which we intend to run a competitive commercial procurement process for a service supplier on that site.For further accommodation centres, the Home Office would use a competitive and fair commercial procurement process for the provision of design, build or renovation and operation of national accommodation centres, including the subsequent service provision including management, maintenance and related works and services.

Overseas Students: Employment

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to allow overseas students to have the right to access paid work placements in the UK, of up to six months, under the Short-term Student (English language) route.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Those who wish to study the English Language for up to 6 months can do so under the visitor route, they do not need to apply for a Short-Term Study Visa.The Short-term Student (English language) route is for those whose aim is to study the English language, not for those wishing to work in the UK. Changing this position would open this route to potential abuse by those whose intention would primarily be to work, not study, as we saw in the past when the then student routes were widely abused for this purpose.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of reports that some Ukrainian refugee families have not been accommodated successfully on arrival in England; and what steps they are taking in response.

Lord Harrington of Watford: We always anticipated that there would be some cases where accommodation is not found to be suitable, and in those relatively rare cases, government and local authorities provide alternative options or accommodation. Further guidance can be accessed (attached) here:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councilshttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-matching-organisationshttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/recognised-providers-organisations-who-can-help-guests-from-ukraine-find-sponsors-in-the-uk Guidance for Council (pdf, 436.0KB)Sponsors in the uk (pdf, 116.4KB)Guidance for matching organisation (pdf, 214.5KB)

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Dahua Technology and Hikvision

Lord Strathcarron: To ask Her Majesty's Government which government departments have banned the use of (1) Hikvision, and (2) Dahua Technology, surveillance equipment from their offices; and what plans they have for that equipment to be banned in all other government departments.

Lord True: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the security arrangements of government departments. Specific details regarding the security systems used by departments are withheld on national security grounds.

Kate Josephs

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord True on 16 June (HL736 and HL840), what specificinvestigation processes are being referred to; who is carrying out each investigation; who each investigation will report to; and by what date they expect each of the investigations to be complete.

Lord True: The specific investigation process being referred to is that set out in both the Update of 31 January 2022 and the 25 May 2022 final report outlining the findings of the Second Permanent Secretary’s investigation into alleged gatherings on Government premises. The methodology of the investigation is outlined within the report. The Second Permanent Secretary’s Update made clear what investigation work had been carried out. It is never appropriate in investigations to either confirm or deny whether the Cabinet Office has had any communications with specific individuals in order to preserve the confidentiality and integrity of investigation processes.

Treasury

Customs: Dover

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of acquiring the land for the Dover Inland Border Facility; and what has been the cost of (1) preparatory works undertaken so far to the site, and (2) access to the site.

Baroness Penn: The Department for Transport (DfT) is the owner of the land at Dover White Cliffs and bought the asset as a strategic and important site for the Government to establish functions that would ease pressure at the border. The Government is currently reviewing potential future use of the site. The initial cost of the land is currently confidential, pending the previous owner’s agreement that this can be released. The cost for developing the site was £18.3 million, with £6.4 million being spent on preparatory works by HMRC, and a further £11.9 million was spent by DfT towards site readiness before handing the site over to HMRC. These costs include £3.3 million being spent on the access to the site, which would have been incurred anyway in developing the fast-track road. Some of the costs such as site surveys, design, and materials, can be re-used by Government for the subsequent use of the land. The decision has been made to cease delivery of the Dover IBF following the end of staged customs controls in January 2022. The demand on the IBF’s has been lower than expected, and trade is flowing well into and out of GB, utilising the services HMRC and commercial operators offer. The revised forecasting shows a substantial reduction in demand which has resulted in an opportunity to review the current size of the IBF network and identify substantial savings to the public purse of up to £120 million by ceasing delivery of Dover IBF.

Manufacturing Industries: Business Rates

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to reduce business rates for UK manufacturers over the next 12 months.

Baroness Penn: The Government has frozen the business rates multiplier for 2022-23, which will support all ratepayers and is a tax cut worth £4.6 billion to businesses over the next 5 years. At Autumn Budget 2021, new business rates support for green technology was announced, worth around £170 million over the next five years. In addition, the Government is bringing forward the implementation of these measures by one year, starting from 1 April 2022. This will enable businesses to invest in energy efficiency and clean heat, and support the security of energy supply. Overall, this will save businesses an extra £35 million in 2022-23.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Equality

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the White Paper on the future of football governance, which is due to be published this summer, will include a detailed strategy on how to improve equality and diversity in football.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Her Majesty’s Government’s response to the recommendations made by the Independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance accepted the need for action on equality, diversity and inclusion in football. The response set out that Her Majesty’s Government supports clubs’ commitment to improving these, focusing on improving outcomes while remaining flexible on plans for action.We will publish a White Paper in the summer which will set out the details on the implementation of our football governance reforms. This includes proposals on the approach to take forward plans for football clubs. We are working to deliver these measures which will bring sustainable reform to ensure that all fans continue to enjoy our national game.

Women and Equalities

UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 20 June (HL780) and 23 June (HL1082), what were the range of factors taken into account when considering whether to nominate a candidate to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and what led to them to their decision not to nominate a candidate this time.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Ministers considered a range of factors when deciding whether to nominate an independent candidate for election to the CEDAW Committee, including the time and resources to mount a campaign, the potential benefits and the impact on other international elections. Following analysis of these factors Ministers decided not to nominate candidate for the 2022 election.

Hire Services: Older People

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of reports of car hire companies refusing to lease vehicles to individuals based solely on their age; and what steps they will take to ensure that older drivers with full licences and insurance are not discriminated against.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Such actions would be concerning and potentially unlawful. The Equality Act 2010 provides that it is unlawful age discrimination for a service provider such as a car hire company to refuse, on age grounds, to lease a vehicle to an otherwise qualified person, unless the company can objectively justify its decision.Where a company cannot, in those circumstances, show that their leasing policy is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, the affected person can bring a case to the County Court, or Sheriff’s Court in Scotland. The court can then determine whether the “objective justification test” has been satisfied, and may award costs and compensation where the individual wins their case. A range of guidance is available to service providers on their obligations and to service users on their rights, most notably on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s website, but also through the Equality and Advisory and Support Service (EASS). The EASS can be contacted via its website - http://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com, or it can be contacted by telephone on 0808 800 0082 (or by text phone on 0808 800 0084).